Unknown Mortal Orchestra — Multi–Love••– Experimental pop band led by Ruban Nielson of the Mint Chicks. ••– For Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s third album, bandleader Ruban Nielson decided to do things a bit differently. We’re not just talking about the music, although the psychedelic synths and re–imagining of 60s and 70s soul music certainly feel fresh. No, we’re talking about the relationship that inspired it — during the making of the album, Nielson and his wife both fell in love with another woman, who moved in with the couple before leaving them both confused and heartbroken.••– That unique experience is poured into Multi–Love, only to be decorated with a futurist, technicolour pop palette.Formed: 2010 in Portland, OROrigin: Auckland, New Zealand / Portland, Oregon, United StatesStyles: Indie Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock, Neo–Psychedelia, Indie ElectronicAlbum release: May 26th, 2015Record Label: Jagjaguwar RecordsDuration: 41:09Tracks:01. Multi–Love 4:1102. Like Acid Rain 2:0203. Ur Life One Night 4:2804. Can’t Keep Checking My Phone 4:1605. Extreme Wealth and Casual Cruelty 6:0506. The World Is Crowded 4:2007. Stage or Screen 3:2608. Necessary Evil 5:1809. Puzzles 7:03℗ 2015 JagjaguwarMembers:••– Ruban Nielson ••– Jacob Portrait••– Riley Geare ••– Quincy McCraryPast members:••– Julien Ehrlich••– Gregory RogoveEditorial Reviews••– The threads of our past never unravel, they hover like invisible webs, occasionally glistening due to a sly angle of the sun. On Multi–Love, Unknown Mortal Orchestra frontman and multi–instrumentalist Ruban Nielson reflects on relationships: airy, humid longing, loss, the geometry of desire that occurs when three people align. Where Nielson addressed the pain of being alone on II, Multi–Love takes on the complications of being together. Multi–Love adds dimensions to the band's already kaleidoscopic approach, with Nielson exploring a newfound appreciation for synthesizers. The new songs channel the spirit of psych innovators without ignoring the last 40 years of music, forming a flowing, cohesive whole that reflects restless creativity. Cosmic escapes and disco rhythms speak to developing new vocabulary, while Nielson's vocals reach powerful new heights. “It felt good to be rebelling against the typical view of what an artist is today, a curator,” he says. “It's more about being someone who makes things happen in concrete ways. Building old synthesizers and bringing them back to life, creating sounds that aren't quite like anyone else's. I think that’s much more subversive.” While legions of artists show fidelity to the roots of psychedelia, Unknown Mortal Orchestra shares the rare quality that makes the genre's touchstones so vital: constant exploration.REVIEWBY CHRIS COPLAN, ON FEBRUARY 05, 2015, 4:50PM••– Unknown Mortal Orchestra will release its third studio album, Multi–Love, on May 26th via Jagjaguwar Records. Spanning nine tracks, it serves as the follow–up to 2013’s II.••– According to a press release, “The new songs channel the spirit of psych innovators without ignoring the last 40 years of music, forming a flowing, cohesive whole that reflects restless creativity. Here, [frontman Ruban] Nielson reflects on relationships: airy, humid longing, loss, the geometry of desire that occurs when three people align. Where he addressed the pain of being alone on II, Multi–Love takes on the complications of being together.”••– Nielson said the band’s goal was to “rebel against the typical view of what an artist is today,” and instead to play the role of “a curator.” He explained, “It’s more about being someone who makes things happen in concrete ways. Building old synthesizers and bringing them back to life, creating sounds that aren’t quite like anyone else’s. I think that’s much more subversive.”••– To accompany today’s announcement, UMO has shared the title track/album opener, a genre–smashing blend of off–kilter funk and new wave romanticism that’s clearly reminiscent of 2011’s self–titled debut.••– http://consequenceofsound.net/Artist Biography by Jason Lymangrover••– After disbanding New Zealand's the Mint Chicks, Portland, Oregon's Ruban Neilson planned to quit music and take on a day job. For a hobby, he started making psychedelic demos in his basement using samples. Soon, music took over as a career again, and his fun brand of experimental pop ended up in the hands of Fat Possum Records, who released Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self–titled debut in the early summer of 2011. As interest in the project grew, Neilson enlisted the help of a full band for a promotional tour and then signed with Jagjaguwar for UMO's sophomore album, II. During the tour, Neilson was often asked to pop in to radio stations and play a couple songs. Having just picked up acoustic guitar, he saw this as a chance to explore a different sound and style, which he documented on 2013's EP Blue Record. Recorded to one mike in his basement, the record is made up of three songs from II and covers of Dirty Projectors and Beck. Neilson spent much of 2014 working on the project's next album, Multi–Love. The record was announced in early 2015 and the first single, the titular track, revealed a move in direction away from the lo–fi psych of the earlier albums toward a more electronic, sometimes funky sound. The album was slated for a late May release that same year.Discography:••– 2011 Unknown Mortal Orchestra Fat Possum (US Top Heatseekers #39)••– 2013 II Jagjaguwar (US Top Heatseekers #2)••– 2015 Multi–Love JagjaguwarWebsite: http://unknownmortalorchestra.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/UMOYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/UMOVEVOFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/unknownmortalorchestra?_rdrLyrics:Multi–LoveChecked into my heart and trashed it like a hotel roomWho is your God? Where is she?She wants to bury me in Austin under UchikoShe don’t want to be a man or a womanShe wants to be your loveMulti–LoveAll of the other stalker daughters dragged her underMay all her minds be made upI’ll be your Vicodin; expired and escaped to ValhallaShe don’t want to be a man or a womanShe wants to be your loveMulti–Love has got me on my kneeWe were one, then become threeMama what have you done to meI’m half crazyMulti–LoveIt’s not that this song’s about herAll songs are about herThe sun shines underneath usFearing new kinds of mind control and just blaming each other She don’t want to be a man or a womanShe wants to be your loveMulti–Love Checked into my heart and trashed it like a hotel roomWho is your God? Where is she?She wants to bury me in Austin under UchikoShe don’t want to be a man or a womanShe wants to be your loveMulti–Love has got me on my kneeWe were one, then become threeMama what have you done to meI’m half crazy_____________________________________________________________